The present invention relates to automatic packaging of products, in particular, tablets, pills, capsules and the like.
In particular, the present invention proposes a machine for packaging the products into so-called xe2x80x9cstripxe2x80x9d packs of predetermined dimensions.
Packaging in strips, unlike packaging in bottles, allows each product to be sealed hermetically, giving information about the product contained therein, printed and/or reported as a code on the relative package (for instance, packaging and expiry dates, composition of the product, dosage and use mode, etc.).
This package is particularly indicated for effervescent products, very sensitive to moisture, and for pharmaceutical products in general.
The strip packs are obtained from two sheets or bands of heat-weldable material, which are overlapped, thus touching each other, to define a plurality of pockets, suitably spaced apart and containing each one a single product.
The pockets are suitably heat-welded along the peripheral edges, so as to seal them hermetically.
In the region corresponding to the heat-welded areas included between adjacent pockets of the same longitudinal row, or of an adjacent row, pre-cuttings are made for defining pre-breaking lines which facilitate the detachment of a single pocket from the package.
According to the needs, the strip packs can be formed by only one pocket, containing the respective product, or by a plurality of pockets, generally arranged on one or more longitudinal files.
Known machines for packaging products in strip packs extend substantially vertically and, in most cases, are operated according to a continuous mode.
In the upper part of these machines, there is a feeding station which, in a way widely known to those skilled in the art, feeds products to a packaging station situated below in cascade, where the products are introduced and sealed in the respective pockets.
The packaging station includes a pair of upper counter-rotating rolls, which have horizontal and parallel axes, touch each other along a common generatrix, act together on two bands of heat-weldable material unwinding from respective bobbins, which are arranged facing each other and situated on both sides with respect to the rolls.
Each upper roll has a series of radial recesses made on its outer surface, which are regularly spaced apart both axially and angularly.
During synchronous movement of the rolls, the radial recesses of one roll face the radial seats of the adjacent roll, so as to define corresponding cavities, which receives the products released by the feeding station.
The products just released are placed between the two bands and into the cavities, so that they are wrapped by the bands of the upper rolls, to define corresponding containing pockets which are heat-welded near the peripheral edges thereof, thus obtaining hermetic and sealed packs.
The peripheral edges of the seats of each upper roll, in particular of the portions of the outer surface included between adjacent seats, are heated by relative groups of heating resistors, suitably distributed, whose temperature is constantly detected by a suitably positioned thermal probe.
Therefore, a continuous band of heat-welded pockets is obtained at the outlet of the pair of upper counter-rotating rolls.
The packaging station includes, in cascade with respect to the upper rolls and in a symmetrical position with respect thereto, a pair of lower counter-rotating rolls, which have horizontal and parallel axes and touch each other along a common generatrix. The lower rollers pull the continuous band, moving away from the packaging station.
A further operating station is situated downstream of the packaging station, i.e. downstream of the pair of lower rolls, which executes continuously an operation routine including, as follows: ink jet printing (or printing by equivalent systems) on each pocket; applying a code by die stamping punches; verify, by suitable feeler pin, of the presence of products inside each sealed pocket; pre-cutting, crosswise with respect to the forward movement direction of the band of heat-welded pockets, obtained by pre-cutting groups; longitudinal cutting of each longitudinal row by first cutting groups; crosswise cutting of each longitudinal row by second cutting groups.
The so obtained strip packs, formed by a predetermined number of pockets, are moved by chute conveyors, which, due to gravity, can space them in not particularly uniform way and, then send them to belt conveyors, which are situated nearby and generally arranged at 90xc2x0 with respect to the feeding direction of the feeding station.
The worst disadvantage of these packaging machines is undoubtedly the necessity to use an additional machine, placed in cascade with respect to the described one, which allows feeding of a packaging machine capable of introducing so obtained strip packs into boxes, generally of cardboard.
This is substantially caused by the fact that the packs leaving the operating groups, suitably subjected to the steps of printing, feeling, code-applying, pre-cutting and cutting, are delivered to the conveyor belt by the chute conveyors in non-controlled configurations, which are undoubtedly not suitable to feed directly a packaging machine.
Another drawback derives from the remarkable vertical extension, i.e. in height, of the machines of the prior art, which does not allow the operator to see correctly the critical areas, like the upper rolls inlet area, as far as the products correct feeding is concerned, as well as the best position of the entering bands.
Conventionally, the above disadvantage is outweighed by mirror systems, which however allow an indirect visual control only, not particularly reliable and rather tiring for the operator.
It is also to be pointed out that the known machines work substantially with a continuous operation mode, which requires particularly sophisticated and expensive apparatuses for printing, verifying, code applying, pre-cutting and cutting, necessitating frequent and accurate maintenance and being affected by recurrent breakdowns.
The object of the present invention is to avoid the above mentioned drawbacks by proposing a machine, which supplies, in outlet, the so-called strip packs in a controlled configuration, allowing the feeding of any packaging machine.
Another object of the present invention is to propose a machine having reduced vertical extension, which allows any operator to visually control directly the machine critical areas, specially the areas of the working group inlet and outlet.
A further object of the present invention is to propose a machine equipped with simpler and more reliable operating means, which require particularly streamlined and rapid maintenance operation, and which are affected by to breakdowns with lower probability with respect to known machines.
A still further object of the present invention is to propose a machine obtained by a simple, extremely functional and reliable technical solution, which delivers the strip packs at the outlet arranged angularly with respect to the packaging group.
The above mentioned objects are obtained, in accordance with the contents of the claims, by means of a A machine for producing so-called strip packs, the machine including:
a station for feeding products to a packaging group, situated in cascade, which places and seals each of said products in relative heat-welded pockets, arranged on a continuous band forming corresponding longitudinal and transversal rows of said pockets;
an operating station, situated in cascade with respect to said packaging group, aimed at supplying, at the outlet, a plurality of strip packs of predetermined longitudinal and transversal dimensions, said operating station being equipped with: means for printing and/or applying codified data and/or information on each pocket of said continuous band;
feeling detecting means for verifying the presence of corresponding products inside each pocket of said continuous band;
pre-cutting groups for transversal precutting of said continuous band in portions included between adjacent transversal files;
cutting groups, a first cutting group and a second cutting group, respectively for longitudinal and transversal cutting of said continuous band in portions included between adjacent longitudinal and transversal rows; means for pulling the continuous band;
a compensation magazine interposed between said packaging group and said operating station, for accumulating, at least partially and upstream of said operating station, said continuous band, so as to allows a variable configuration thereof;
with said continuous band being moved stepwise and in step relation with the intermittent and synchronous operating of said, first means, second means and pulling means, said feeling detecting means, said pre-cutting groups and first cutting group and second cutting group, working in said operating station downstream of said packaging group.